Set me off on the right path please

[keirk]

Just read the entire thread - wish I'd read it when I wish got my boy. How is the pup doing now - she must be 18mo?

[Crosshair]

Hello all! Just a quick update to anyone still interested
Basically my life has gone mental in the last year. Left my girlfriend of 10 years, got a new single handed job and obviously a new house, met a new horsey-lady with a gorgeous cocker, moved in together, got engaged, sat on a horse for the first time, learned to ride, bought myself a horse, taught myself to jump, took him hunting for the first time etc etc so Hazel never ended up getting the polish I'd hoped. That said, she's getting plenty of work both in the beating line and picking up. She's steady as a rock, goes like a rocket and has a nice delivery. Her handling isn't always perfect but she's a great addition to my picking up team. Sorry for not making this thread the interesting reference I'd originally hoped but I literally don't get any spare time :0)
Will try and post some pics if I get a chance.

[Rascal]

Thought you'd gone up in another dust cloud or summat..

Are you still keepering?

Rascal

[Polmaise]

Yowwww! Crosshair
Over 7,000 views to the riot you started
How you doin mate?...different paths right enough
Hope the one you are now following is the right one for you Glad yer wee dugs are doin ok

[Crosshair]

Hi Rascal. Yep, single-handed now near Newbury. Having a bit of a tricky start though- way too mild!!!!!
Thanks Pol, yep, can honestly say I've never been so happy. Had all five out picking up today. Pity I never maintained the focus I had on Hazel as a pup but she's turned out fine. Can shoot over her, beat with her and let her go nuts with the pack out picking up!
Do miss reading around on here- it's such a mine (field?? ;0) ) of knowledge.

[trekmoor]

It's good to see you back Crosshair.

Wullie

[winniebob]

Hello all! Just a quick update to anyone still interested
met a new horsey-lady with a gorgeous cocker,

Well that says it all............'new lady with gorgeous cocker' .........hope she didn't read that - as it should have read........'gorgeous lady with a cocker!!!

Nice to have you back.

Ali

[olib007]

Hi Andrew,

Good topic - I hope to be following in your footsteps with this training once I get the car I'm rebuilding finished and have the time to commit to my own dog (and more days beating!!)

Are you planning to have any more litters?

Hopefully will see you beating soon!

Oli

[Crosshair]

Just thought I would update this thread with a bit of a write up from picking up today.
I took all six dogs (including my latest 8 month old puppy as nobody was left behind to babysit) with me today as it was a new shoot (first time it has been shot in 10 or more years) and I didn't have a clue what the terrain would be like. It soon proved to be perfect Labrador territory with the guns standing in wide open arable fields and the picker-ups placed well behind the line so the spaniels mostly had a nice lazy day cruising around in the truck.
Although Hazel is plenty good enough for how I generally use her in a sweeping role, I still think she's better than that so I've been making a concerted effort the past couple of weeks to give her retrieves by herself with no mad spaniels tearing about potentially nicking her birds
So first drive today, I was covering guns 1-3 who were a good 100 yards in front on a ploughed field. They were in front of the release-wood, alongside which was a grass field with a really tall barbed-wire topped fence. I went a good fifty yards wide of number one gun to where the ploughed-field boundary hedge was in case any pricked birds made it to there.
Then, I carefully let Holly under the wire and ushered her out on to the plough and told her to sit. The guns were already on pegs and Holly latched straight onto them and settled in to watch the shooting!
Hazel and I remained this side of the wire ready for any birds that made it that far.
Soon birds were coming and it became clear that guns 1-3 weren't going to get the lions share. A few partridge reached them though, one of which was shot in front of the pegs and the rest of which glided down to the hedge next to where I was stood. Holly inspected each one for loose feathers or trailing legs and content they were all fine, shuffled back around to face the guns again (don't you love practiced old-timers )
Hazel sat steady and took it all in. Next, a couple of pheasants were shot my end of the line which fell dead out on the plough. Watching a flutterer carefully to make sure it wasn't a runner, I reminded the girls to stay although they hadn't moved.
Then, a high Hen bird was shot by number four and clearly hit hard, it planed down, just making it over the barbed wire into the far end of the grass field I was in. A quick glance and Hazel told me she'd marked it so I cast her off. Fast, straight and true she went straight to the fall, a good 95-100 yards, and I suddenly panicked that it might make it back through the stock netting into the wood meaning she might try and launch over the barbed wire. She's got a massive jump (she's cleared my shoulder a couple of times) but I still prefer to be there to help them over. I needn't have worries, the lung-shot hen was now dead and she returned equally as fast before doing her victory leaping dance that she's inherited from her mum!!

In the meantime, a few more pheasants had been shot out the front and soon the horn went.
Normally, I'd head straight off to find the lightest-pricked runner or the furthest away bird first but there were no further runners to find so I lifted the stock-netting for Hazel to get under and climbed over onto the plough. Walking a couple of yards out, I made Holly stay then went a few paces forward with Hazel. I carefully lined her up about 15m down-wind of an area with at least three, if not four dead pheasants in. I use 'back' for both lining them up and for remote handling so with a 'Hazel, BACK!' I cast her off.
She knew where the birds had landed so veered slightly into the wind taking her straight to the nearest hen-bird which was still fluttering slightly. As she returned, I waved at Holly and said 'go on then!' which was all she needed. The two labs eyed each other suspiciously as they passed at full speed. By the time Hazel reached me, Holly had a bird so I took it quickly and without even lining her up said 'Hazel, BACK'. The dogs passed each other again and I took Holly's bird and cast her off once more. They passed a final time and then I hunted up the rest of the plough without any more finds.

The second drive produced one runner for her which was one of those full-on road runners that lightly touches down then takes off on foot at a sprint! Not good for steadyness but she's old enough now to cope with a few of these I think. She covered the heavy plough like it was a running track and soon collected it up. She also showed a bit of brains by veering off right-handed to return to me via the easier going on the grass-margin!!

Third drive was quiet.

Fourth drive was a strange one where a hard hit runner planed down past us towards a hedge. I cast her off whilst it was still in flight so she could get a good line on it over the brow. What happened next is a mystery that will stay between Hazel and the bird. When I last saw her, she was right on it. But then nothing for about three minutes. I stood on a bank to get a view over the hill but couldn't see her. Then she appeared with it as if there was no problem Perhaps it made it out through the hedge but I can't work out what took her so long.

Fifth drive was quiet.

Last drive I handled her some 80 yards into a rape field looking for a pricked hen and found a dead cock!

All in all, a really good day.

[Rascal]

Enjoyed that catchup, after all this time....

Rascal